Mysteries And Secrets
by Zephra85
Summary: A glance into Megatron's youth, before he took on the Decepticon warlord's name. Tronus did not believe in mysteries, only secrets. So when the one mystery in his life leads him to an amazing secret, the discovery only takes him further away from solving that mystery.


_The unknown can be designated into two categories._

_Mysteries, and secrets._

_Mysteries have no answer. They are folklore and fables, and their joy comes from never being solved. _

_If a mystery is ever solved, it was never a mystery to begin with. Merely a secret. _

He could not remember where he first heard those words. Some old data file amongst dozens that came his way, perhaps. But they had always remained with him, regardless of the how, when and where he came across them. It was something he had always believed in, to the point where he did not believe in mysteries. Everything has an answer, everything has a reason, and truth can be discovered at any given time. There were only secrets, never mysteries.

It was why he was always confused and baffled by _him_. That mech was the one, and only, mystery in his life. He didn't like the unknown. He didn't like being confused. He didn't like mysteries. Perhaps it was why they were never quite as close as it was assumed they would be, regardless of the bond between them. It was simply easier to stay away, so that his processor wouldn't ache trying to figure him out all the time while in the other's presence. The other, however, always had other plans.

"Tronus!" A cheerful, familiar voice called out. Tronus flinched, then sighed as he turned around from his desk, setting his data file on his lap and shooting a glare at the source.

"What do you want, Galvos?" He shot out with irritation. "I'm studying." The other Predacon gave a snort, rolling his eyes as he bound to his brother and leaned on him, resting his elbow on the other's shoulder.

"You're ALWAYS studying. I never see you without a data pad in your hands. I bet you've been at this desk all day." He moaned, his lips twisting into a smirk of challenge. The sitting youth sighed yet again, knowing already that he wasn't going to get any more peace for the day.

"There's nothing wrong with educating oneself. And now that I've finished my homework I was looking forward to reading about other subjects that _actually_ interest me." Tronus attempted to dissuade his current distraction. Galvos quirked a brow, red optics looking inquisitive for a moment as he leaned over to look at the data pad currently in Tronus's lap.

"Bio-molecular engineering? _Primus_ bro how can you even read that without falling into recharge?" He laughed, continuing to lean on the other but now resting his chin on his helm. "I could never do that."

Tronus grumbled, shrugging off Galvos from his incessant pawing. "And that is why, dear brother, I can never understand how we could possibly be twin sparks." He declared, straightening his back with a frown as he turned back to his desk. "We have nothing in common."

Galvos shrugged, resting his hands on the back of his helm and moving around to the side of Tronus's desk so that he was facing him. "Maybe. But we're still brothers. And brother's don't let each other sit at desks all day during their free time to rust." He announced, reaching out and pulling the data pad out of Tronus's hands and tossing it onto the desk. Tronus growled, about to protest when Galvos suddenly grabbed his arm and yanked him up. "Come on, you need a break! And I want to show you something cool I found anyway." He spoke as he dragged the other out of his quarters. Tronus groaned, knowing he wasn't going to get a moment's peace when his brother was _this_ determined.

"Fine. I will allow you _one_ megacycle. Then will you leave me in peace to study?" He attempted to plea-bargain as he was dragged. Galvos waved him off.

"Yeah yeah a megacycle will be fine. Then you can go back to your mad science." He agreed, flashing a smirk as the two moved down the hallway and towards the foyer of their home. "You'll like what I want to show you anyway."

_Not slagging likely_. Tronus thought, but decided to bite his glossa for the time being. He knew when his twin got into these... _pestering_ moods he was relentless until he got what he wanted. So the easiest thing to do was simply humour him until whatever task he had set out to do was accomplished. The two headed out, both shifting into vehicle mode and driving down the busy streets of their home in the Predacon capital, New Kaon. They drove on for about ten cycles before Galvos stopped, shifting back into robot mode. Tronus followed suit, glancing around the industrial area he'd been lead to. The only thing he could see were worn down factories, blowing their blackened smoke into the atmosphere, even more worn down warehouses, and a small gorge. Galvos suddenly slid down the slanted side of the gorge until he reached the bottom, murky with heavily recycled energon. Tronus frowned as he carefully followed, the two heading east until a tunnel appeared. He suddenly stopped, glaring at the youth still trekking on ahead of him.

"You said nothing about gallivanting through a sewer!" He barked. Galvos stopped, sighing before looking over his shoulder with a pleading look in his optics.

"Will you just trust me? It'll be worth it, I promise." He vowed, pouting at him with that that horrid, puppy-eyes look that always made Tronus just want to punch him in the face. Mostly because he couldn't refuse it.

"... Fine. But I'm counting the cycles until your time is up." He reminded him as he caught up. Galvos's pout left and was quickly replaced with his even more horrid happy-go-lucky grin.

Ugh. He preferred the pout.

The two entered the tunnel, sludge ankle-deep as they ventured through for some time more. Tronus looked ahead at his guide to this impromptu adventure, optics narrowing as a sneer twisted his lips.

"Oh yes, this is _clearly_ much better than reading quietly at home. Spending our one day-off parading around the nauseating, putrid underbelly of a Predacon sewer. I've obviously underestimated your concept of 'fun', brother. I yield to your genius." He drawled out sarcastically. Galvos replied with a chuckle.

"You'd seriously rather be reading about... what was it, 'bio-molecular engineering'? What do you plan on doing with knowledge like that anyway? You going to clone something someday?" He asked, shooting a glance behind him. Tronus 'hmph'ed.

"Perhaps I will need the knowledge to clone something someday. If such a situation arises I'd like to know what I'm doing." He defended himself, causing Galvos to chuckle again.

"I thought you wanted to be a military general. What do you need all that complicated science for if you just want to be in the army?"

"I do not want to 'be in' the army, I want to _lead_ an army. Preferably one of my own someday. And when I am in such a position of power I wish to be as informed as possible on as many subjects as possible. I have no desire to place any significant amount of reliance on advisers. Merely subjects to do the grunt work while the genius remains my own." Tronus smirked at that, allowing his mind to fantasize for a brief moment on such a situation which he fully intended on making a reality in the future. But this only caused Galvos to laugh again.

"Bro, Generals don't have 'advisers' or 'subjects'. Kings and emperors do." He stated. Tronus huffed, glaring.

"Exactly. I'm going to be both."

Galvos slowed at that, turning to his brother with a contemplative look in his optics. He was silent for a few moments before smiling again.

"So ambitious." He chuckled before shrugging. "Okay, future General-Lord of Cybertron. If that's the case, it's even more important you get to see the thing I want to show you." He stated before falling silent again, returning to leading the way down the twists, turns, and slopes of the sewer.

The two carried on in silence. Silence that Tronus relished, since his impudent twin always seemed insistent on filling the air with constant talking, chattering, and noise noise _noise_. He still didn't understand how the two could be twins. Twin sparks were, by his extensive research, almost always near identical if not perfectly identical in their personalities due to once being one spark, one entity during their first moments of life. The stark contrast between them made Tronus entertain the possibility more than once that if they had never separated, they perhaps would have been one mech with split personalities. (It was a theory he disliked entertaining for long since, quite frankly, it disturbed him greatly. ) Twin sparks continued to share this bond during the course of their lifecycle being that most of the time the two were connected mentally and emotionally at all times.

It was really the only way he accepted that the two were twins at all, due to being able to sense his brother's emotions, and Galvos able to do the same. Right now he could feel the other's excitement and anticipation at whatever it was he wanted to show him. He was downright _giddy_ with eagerness. Although he currently had a block on their mental bond, likely so Tronus wouldn't go snooping about in his mind and ruin the surprise. Not that Tronus minded, he often disliked the psychic connection the two shared. He hated the idea of _anyone_ poking about in his thoughts, even if it was his brother. Although perhaps one thing the two had in common was that Galvos actually didn't like the psychic link either. But that was because he would usually just prattle on about whatever thoughts were rolling around in his processor verbally due to being obsessed with the sound of his own voice. Occasionally, if it was paramount to discuss something in secret, the two would communicate through the bond. Although it was something that neither brother desired to do often. It was a small thing that Tronus was actually grateful for.

While it was also common for twin sparks to be physically identical as well, that wasn't the case for the two of them. They had enough resemblances for it to be noticeable that they were brothers, but they were certainly _not _identical. They had the same tall, somewhat bulky build, the same sharp red optic colour, and olfactory sensors, but that was where it ended. Galvos's armour was thinner and more compact, while Tronus's was thick and heavy. Galvos had a smoother, rounder helm and softer jawline. Tronus's was squared off and boxy, with harsher lines and a harder, longer jaw. And while the two had the same colour of optics, Galvos's were rounder and slightly larger. Even their colour schemes differed from one another. Tronus had different shades of purple and charcoal gray for his, while Galvos had dashes of purple, with different shades of blue decorating him that ranged from royal to steel. Comparing the two side by side Tronus certainly looked stronger, larger, and sterner, while Galvos was softer, rounder, and friendlier looking. Since the two were Predacons Tronus concluded he got the better end of the bargain in the looks department. However, the one difference between them that Tronus hated to admit he was envious of was their hands. His digits were smooth, rounded and almost graceful while his brother's were tapered and sharp, resembling claws. They certainly looked intimidating, more fitting for a Predacon. Tronus never spoke of his envy out loud, or even within their link. He didn't want anyone, not even Galvos to know that there was even one thing his brother had that he wished he did.

_One must appear confident at all times, in all things, if respect is desired._ He thought.

As the two continued on, they eventually reached a ladder that lead down another, more narrow tunnel. Gavos slipped down it with no hesitation, which of course made Tronus groan yet again.

"How much further is it? Your time is nearly up already. And _how_ exactly did you even find whatever this is so deep underground?" He questioned as he followed his brother down the ladder. Galvos shrugged once more.

"I was just exploring one day when you were studying and I was bored." He replied. Galvos huffed.

"You really ought to be studying more yourself if you have so much time to waste playing in these disgusting sewers like a filthy rat." Tronus mocked.

"I do well enough in classes to keep our paternal units off my back. I'm not obsessed with knowing everything about everything like you are." Galvos jeered right back, looking up and smirking at his brother. "I like a little mystery in life." This of course caused the purple sibling to growl.

"Well _**I**_ don't! I don't like mysteries, I don't like being confused or in the dark about anything and I _don't_ like surprises. And you have five cycles left before I turn around and head home, but not before I knock your head in for dragging me all the way down here and wasting my time you miserable little-"

"Hey calm down! We're here!" The blue sibling quickly interrupted, hopping down the last step of the ladder. Tronus grumbled, slipping down himself and looking around. It was a tight, narrow passage that was maybe four meters in diameter if you were being generous. And that was it. There was nothing else he could see, there weren't even any artificial lights down this deep. Tronus felt the last ounces of his patience slipping away as his fists clenched.

"Galvos..." He hissed through clenched dentals. "If you brought me all the way out here for nothing more than a hole in the ground I swear to Primus..." He trailed off, no longer sure if he even _wanted_ to resist the urge to beat his brother down. Galvos laughed, taking a few steps away from the ladder deeper into the tiny passage.

"Don't worry, the hole's not what I wanted to show you." He assured him before giving a wide gesture in front of him. "Over there's what I want you to see." Tronus looked, and once his optics adjusted to the dark he finally saw a large, heavily armoured and extremely old door in front of them. But the unusual thing about it wasn't the door itself, it was the electronic lock. It was shimmering and modern, clearly brand new. Tronus blinked, approaching the door with his optics still on the lock.

"... What is this?" He asked, grazing his hand across the metal. Galvos grinned widely, approaching the lock and slipping a card key out of his subspace pocket.

"When I found this place, I wanted to make sure no one else could get in. So I got a new lock for the door, since the old one was so ancient and rusting all it took was one tiny energy blast to take care of it." Galvos explained as he swiped the key through the locked. It bleeped with a red light before opening. Galvos yanked on the heavy door, grunting slightly with slight strain before holding it open for Tronus. His eager grin never left his face as he made a sweeping gesture inside. "Well, Lord Tronus, take a look." He spoke with a slightly teasing tone. Tronus quirked a brow before cautiously heading inside. There was an eerie yellowish green glow about, a sure sign of emergency lights. He blinked, glancing around. It was a huge corridor, rusting and old with painted lines on the floor cracked and faded. He couldn't believe the size of it, it was certainly big enough to easily accommodate to even the Decepticons of old. As he took in the corridor, he quickly realized it wasn't a corridor at all. It was a hanger dock for jets.

_A jet dock? This far underground? But.._. His optics widened, not even finishing that line of thought before quickly rushing to the opening at the far end of the hanger. He skidded to a stop at the edge, his mouth agape at the sight that laid before him. It was an ancient city, vast and expanding as far as his optics could see. The constructs and buildings were deteriorated, falling apart and rusting, but huge. Bigger than anything he'd seen on the surface. Emergency lights covered the metropolis in that same yellow-green hue, giving the entire layout an almost supernatural appearance. He heard the steps of his brother approaching until he was beside him, that victorious grin still on his face.

"Well?" He asked, and Tronus could feel the joy pouring out from their bond. The joy at seeing his own wonder. Tronus finally closed his mouth, optics surveying the city before he found his voice.

"Is this...?"

"Kaon. Old Kaon. City of the Decepticons." Galvos finished, looking out himself with his chestplate swelling out with pride. "I didn't know it was here either. I've never heard or read anything about New Kaon actually being built on top of the old city. So I knew you'd want to see it." The blue brother boasted, and Tronus couldn't think of any reason to object to that statement. He swallowed his throat before finally giving a smirk of his own.

"I didn't know about our Kaon being built on top of this one either. I can't help but wonder how it came about." He mused. Galvos smiled, looking back out at the city.

"Who knows. It's a mystery." He concluded, which made Tronus snort.

"There's no such thing as mysteries. Only secrets. But, I do concede that this... is quite impressive, brother. Thank-you for showing this to me." Galvos's pride and joy kept swelling through the link, and the twin quickly approached the very edge of the hanger.

"There's an emergency ladder over there, so we can go down and explore the city when we want to, but can you imagine what it must be like to fly over these buildings?" He nearly squealed with delight, then ran behind them with his arms out and began to dash about the hanger. "I'm going to get myself equipped with a flight mode someday and just soar across this place! I want to see it the way our ancestors must have seen it, from high above with the wind across their wings! Primus it must have been amazing!" Galvos laughed before returning to Tronus's side, plopping down and letting his pedes hang over the edge. Tronus's smile faded slightly, giving a grunt as he crossed his arms and looked down at his brother.

"You know grounders can't be equipped with flight modes. It was outlawed decades ago. Grounders we are, and grounders we stay brother." He shot out. The blue bot didn't seem perturbed by this, only shrugging as he looked up at his purple brother.

"Well when you're Lord of Cybertron you can change that law. Then we can BOTH get jets equipped and soar the skies together." He spoke simply, but it caused Tronus's glare to slip and his arms to fall at his sides as he stared at his brother.

The statement had no sense of sarcasm, mirth or teasing. Galvos had said it not even as a hopeful wish, but as a _fact_. Through their bond he even felt the sincerity behind it. His brother truly believed it. Tronus continued to stare at his brother before a rare, more tender smile fell upon his face. He chuckled, slipping down to sit beside his twin with his own legs hanging over the edge of the hanger.

"Very well then. I'll make it my first decree when I rule this world." He told him before looking back at the expansive city before them. The two once again sat in silence for some time, admiring the view of their ancestors ancient home before Galvos broke the silence.

"Hey Tronus?"

"Yes?"

"... Promise me we'll come back here when we get our jets. I want my very first time flying to be right here, off this hanger and soaring over this city." He spoke, turning his head to Tronus and smiling. "And I want you beside me the whole time. It wouldn't be the same without you."

Tronus turned to his brother, quiet for a moment before smiling again.

"Very well, brother." He promised before looking back at the view before them.

Tronus never believed in mysteries. Everything had an answer, everything could be solved, and everything could be deduced if you were smart enough. The one exception to his in his lifecycle was his twin brother. His cheery outlook, his optimistic attitude, his selflessness and generousness completely baffled the young Predacon. None of these things were the Predacon way, and they certainly didn't come from any aspect of himself either. He didn't truly know what possessed his brother to share such a desirable secret with him. Had the situation been reversed, he would have kept the city of Old Kaon to himself, as one thing that could be his and his alone that he didn't have to share with the often irritating Galvos.

But during moments like this, when he could benefit from it... He really didn't mind the mystery that was his brother.


End file.
